Daily Republican., 1887-06-13
SIGHTS 8GEN IN CUBA,

Upon the second day of our stay in
Havana the senators were invited to
the home of the captain general, the
invitation being sent through the
American Consul, Gen. Williams
In accordance with the invitation, the
party of "jistiguidos viajeros Ameri-
can0s" took carriages about midday
for the home OF the great dignitary in
the suburbs.
We made funny string of dilapi-
dated victOrias, mullitudinously
patched and mendcd, and measly little
horses, which, in appearance. beat the
mule in sorrowful abstraction and
utter hopelessness. We went in a
heller SHELTER way up the Prado. past
the Campo Marie, and out the Paseo
Tacon TO the noted gardens and
country house OF the Spanish Ruler.
In the tropical gardens are worlds
OF fruits and vegetables, many of which
we never see in the north. Why, TO
see them once leaves your mouth q
little like that of a hungry dog cycling
forbidden bone. In the same gar.
dens there may be cocoanuts, dates,
lemons, oranges, lines, sappadillos,
zapotas, nammees, pomegranates,
/ bread iruit, bananaS, tanlarinds, pine
apples, mnngoes. alligator pears, star
apples. grape fruit, guava, custard
Iapples, yams, rose apples, citrons and
So on Ia an endless list.
The workmen were negroes and q
few coolies slaves or slaves, an d
some were nearly naked and all naked
10 the waist. In the workshops
again observed curious thing. and
that is the tendency to make oil mo-
tions away from the body. They
sharpen pencils. white, hew and saw
never inward or toward the body. 1t
LOOKS odd to see them with the stick
fixed in position and the saw held per-
lpendicular in front of it with its back
to the lody. and thus raised up and
down. When person wishes to
bccson to another, he holds up his
hand with the palm outward, gives a
sharp "p.s-s-t," which is the universal
mailing signal in Cuba, and then waves
his hand outwardly in exactly the op-
posite motion 10 what he would make.
While we gathered al the stables the
captain generals daughter had her
splendid saddle horse, of pure Anda-
lusian blood and brought over from
her home, brought out and shown off
for us, while groom hung on to him
desperately to keep him down out of
the clouds.
Finally we returned to the house
and proceeded informally to the din
ing loom, where all were seated
around single long table except the
capita in general himself, who remained
standing behind his daughters chair
during the meal. Our party was q
good deal embarrassed by this, for, as
We just filed the chairs, it looked as
though we had crowded out our ex-
allied host.
We then concluded that 1t was
through point OF etiquette or ceremony
That he did not sit at table with US. So
anxious We're we that one OF our ladies
asked his daughter, and she explained
that at such affairs her father rarely
seated himself. He likes to stand and
overlook the table. and see that the
servants neglected no one. He never
ate at such entertainments, as he has a
weak stomach Tor indulgences, and
takes only very plain and simple food
Regularly.
Tho servants were in gorgeous livery;
the wine was superb, so that some of
the connoisseurs IT our party felt their
eyes sparkle, and the refreshments
simple and plentiful.
When it came to the champagne the
captain general made C speech. which
was translated by the consul general.
and Mr. Sherman responded. the con-
snl-general again translating. and all
drank standing. The speeches were
the usual conventional exchanges of
compliments and good wishes, but the
consul general told us afterward that
the captain general spoke with more
warmth and evident sincerity than
WAS usual with him on such occa-
sions.
Before we left an invitation was
given to come again in the evening.
when there would be music and dane
ing. A large number of our party
accepted, and our ladies were much
admired, and made great impress.
sion. The Spaniards were greatly
pleased at the ladies coming and dane
ing, and our young men showed some
of the senorltas thing or two in
waltzing.
The more we saw of Cuban wo-
men the more unquaIifiedly we &C.
knowledged their wonderful beauty
We hardly saw homely woman in
Havana, and we saw some beautiful
beyond description. There is a same
ness about the beauty that might in
the collective grow little monoto.
nous, but an individual instance is in
comparable.
Even if the face is not otherwise
One the lustrous eyes can light up and
gsorify it, and the eyes of the Cuban
women are like stars of the summer
night, and the velvety black masses of
hair bound about their heads and
thrust through with a gold bodkin,
after custom immemorial in old Spain,
truly wOmar's crown of glory.
Tic dark eyes and alluring lips full
and rich, the sly grace of the fan or
cigarette. the dainty, arched feet, with
gold embroidered black stockings, and
that most beautiful of all ornaments
for the head, the mantilla, have often
been celebrated in song and poetry,
hut they never received any more
praisn or admiration than thew do